‘The distinction between us and robots is going to disappear.’
Rodney Brooks, Robot: The Future of Flesh and Machines, 2002.

The Crag – Creation of Reality Group, directed by Luis de Miranda – is co-developing The Anthrobotics Interdisciplinary Network at the University of Edinburgh along with the school of informatics, with Ram Ramamoorthy and Michael Rovatsos, among others. This is a platform of cross-disciplinary research and collaboration on the relation between humans, robots and intelligent systems. Anthrobotics is a hypothetical methodology: a move away from ethics as main central focus towards social policy concerns, a move away from the idea that social automata are a radically new phenomenon towards a histosophy of social machines, and a move away from methodological individualism to look at the relationship human/robot in terms of relationship between collectives.

Expected Impact:
– Develop a holistic approach and new perspectives in robotics and AI research and innovation.
– Strengthen collaboration between diverse robotics, AI and humanities/social sciences research clusters;
– Gain a higher level of UK and European involvement in social robotics policy and standard-making;
– Clearer understanding by the community and non-technical experts of the impact of robotics and AI technology through two-way engagement, which helps to better inform related strategy and policy decision-making; significant and measurable evolution in the public awareness and understanding of robots;
– Increase public interest and participation in robotics technology and societal policy issues.